Coupler yoke



limo 1, 1924 I 11,479,199

w. A. MITCHELL COUPLER YoKE' Filed Jan. 1921 Patented .llan. 1, 19241.

unre stars- 5arnr VJILLIAIVE A. MITCHELL, OF DENISON, TEXAS, ASSIGNOB TO UNIVERSAL DRAFT GEAR ATTACHMENT (10., A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

ooUrLnn YOKE.

Application filed January 3, 1921. Serial No. 434,556.

T all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM A. MITCHELL, citizen of the United States, and resident of Denison, county of Grayson, and a State of Texas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Coupler Yokes, of which the following is a specification, and

which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, forming a part thereof.

The invention relates to coupler yokes, and has as an object the provision of a device of this nature having an improved form of attachment to the draw-bar wherein two distinct connections of the draw-bar to the 15 yoke are provided, thereby securing a better distribution of the stresses of draft and thus lessening the danger of breakage, while in the event of the complete failure of either connection the yoke will not be rendered in- 20 operative.

An illustrative embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a vertical longitudinal section on 2 the line 1-1 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 2 is a plan view, partly in section;

Fig. 3 is a vertical transverse section on the line 33 of Fig. 2, with the draw-bar butt omitted;

Fig. 4 is a detail vertical longitudinal section of a modification on the line 4--4 of Fig. 5;

Fig. 5 is a detail plan view, partly in section. of the form shown in Fig. 4; and

Fig. 6 is a vertical transverse section on the line 6-6 of Fig. 5.

The coupler yoke 10 is designed to coact with follower plates and draft gear (not shown) of any preferred type. The drawbar 11 is also of a usual form, having the shoulders 12, 13, upon its butt and a transverse slot for a key 14.

The yoke as shown has a box-like front end 15, closed on four sides and illustrated as open front and rear. The upper wall of the box 15 is provided with a shoulder 16 to coact with the shoulder 12. To permit insertion of the butt of the draw-bar the floor 17 of the box is depressed below the plane of the upper surface of the lower arm of the yoke, being spaced below the surface 18, in front of the shoulder 16, a distance somewhat greater than the over all height of the butt. This level of the floor 17 is extended rearwardly to a shoulder 19 which is situated the length of the butt in the rear of shoulder 16. The butt may be inserted into the yoke by placing it upon the floor 17, sliding it to the rear into contact with shoulder 19, then lifting it into contact with the wall 18, with the shoulder 12 in engagement with the shoulder 16. The key 14 may then be inserted, slots 20 being formed in the sides of the box for the reception of the key.

To positively prevent the butt of the coupler from dropping, and the disengagement of the shoulder 12 from the shoulder 16, a block 21 is placed on the floor 17 of the box, the thickness of which block is equal to the height of the shoulder 19 and in excess of that of the shoulder 12. A. flange 22 on the block 21 forms a shoulder to coact with shoulder 13 of the butt.

To retain the block 21 against the push of shoulder 13 of the butt, a key 23 is passed through slots 24 formed in the sides of the box, and into a channel 25 in the floor 17 of the box. To reinforce the forward end 26 of the floor of the box against the push of the key 23, a thickening of the floor 17 is provided, as at 27. The keys 14 and 23 may be retained in any desired manner, as by cotter pins 28. v

The modification of Figs. 4, 5 and 6 differs from that already described merely in the arrangement and location of the key for engaging the flange 22. In this form of the invention the key 29 is placed with its width horizontal in slots 30, and is located above the floor of the box to bring it opposite a portion of the shoulder 13 without excessive thickness. The key 29 is shown as retained by having one end 31 turned at an angle, and by a cotter pin 28 at the other end. This form and location of the key most nearly utilizes the full strength of the key, and its relation to the block 21 and shoulder 13 obviates any tendency of the block to rock about its forward lower corner.

The box of the yoke preferably terminates rearwardly flush with the butt of the drawbar; therefore the butt may come into direct engagement with a follower plate passed through the yoke.

Minor changes may be made in the physical embodiment of the invention without departing from its spirit.

I claim as my invention In combination, a draw-bar having a butt with top and bottom shoulders and a transverse closed slot therethrough, a coupler yoke comprising a four-sided butt-receiving box having a plurality of closed slots in each of its side Walls, the vertical dimension of the box being in excess: of the vertical dimension of said butt, a butt-retaining shoulder integral with the top Wall of the box, a block adapted to support the butt in engagement with said shoulder, a

butt-retaining shoulder on said block, a key 10 said box, and a key .in another pair of said 15 slots adapted to directly retain the butt.

WILLIAM A. MITCHELL. 

